It'll be a while before MediaTek's true octa-core SoC makes its glorious arrival, but for the time being, the company's unveiling something just as interesting -- and perhaps more practical. The new MT8135 announced today is a "quad-core" SoC aimed at "the middle- to high-end tier of the tablet OEM market." We quote "quad-core," because it actually consists of two clusters: dual Cortex-A15 cores and dual Cortex-A7 cores. But the good news is that unlike the original big.LITTLE configuration where only one cluster can operate at any given time (depending on how heavy the workload is), MediaTek's confirmed that it has implemented big.LITTLE MP ("MP" as in heterogeneous multi-processing) in the MT8135, meaning both the A15 and the A7 clusters can operate simultaneously.

Another highlight of this MT8135 is that it'll be one of the first SoCs -- alongside LG's H13 (which we've seen first-hand), Renesas' APE6 and Renesas' R-Car H2 -- to come with Imagination Technologies' almighty PowerVR Series6 GPU. Specifically, this is the PowerVR G6200 which, as part of the MT8135, can apparently deliver "up to four times more ALU (arithmetic logic unit) horsepower" than the Series5XT GPU on the cheaper, quad-A7 MT8125. And unsurprisingly, the MT8135 gets the same Miracast wireless video goodie given to the MT8125; though it's also worth noting that the latter only supports LPDDR2 RAM instead of the more powerful LPDDR3.

Sadly, there's no further information regarding availability, but you can kill some time by checking out more technical details in the video (with benchmarks; even though Qualcomm's been mysteriously left out) and press releases after the break.

This tablet chipset solution also boasts unprecedented graphics and compute performance enabled by the latest generation PowerVR™ Series6 GPU from Imagination Technologies. "We're proud to be a key partner with Mediatek for their latest generation of tablet SoCs" says Tony King-Smith, EVP of marketing, Imagination. "PowerVR Series6 GPUs build on Imagination's success in mobile and embedded markets to deliver the industry's highest performance and efficient solutions for graphics and compute GPUs. MediaTek is a key lead partner for Imagination for our PowerVR Series6 GPU cores, so we expect the MT8135 to set an important benchmark for high-end gaming, smooth UIs and advanced browser-based graphics-rich applications in smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Thanks to our PowerVR Series6 GPU, we believe the MT8135 will deliver 5x or more of the graphics and GPU compute performance of previous MediaTek devices."

"At MediaTek, our goal is to enable each user to take the maximum advantages of his or her smartphone, tablet or other mobile devices. The implementation and availability of the MT8135 bring an enjoyable multitasking experience to life without having to sacrifice either quality or energy. As the leader in multi-core processing solutions, we are constantly optimizing these capabilities to their best and turning them into mainstream, for them to be accessible to every user around the world," said Joe Chen, GM of Home Entertainment Business Unit, MediaTek.

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MediaTek MT8135 brings PowerVR Series6 GPUs to a mobile device near you

Over the years, our close partnership with MediaTek has resulted in the release of some very innovative platforms that have set important benchmarks for high-end gaming, smooth UIs and advanced browser-based graphics-rich applications in smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Two recent examples include:
• MT8125/MT8389, an extension of MediaTek's highly successful quad-core portfolio which integrates power-efficient PowerVR Series5XT graphics that deliver compelling multimedia features and sophisticated user experiences
• MT8135, the first in a series of PowerVR Series6-based mobile chipsets that are due to be announced in the second half of this year
MediaTek has been steadily establishing itself as an important global player for consumer products like smartphones, tablets and smart TVs, with a strong foothold in Latin America and Asia, and a rapidly growing presence in Europe and North America. Earlier this year, MediaTek introduced MT8125, one of their most successful tablet chipsets for high-end multimedia capabilities.

While MT8125 has been extremely popular with OEMs including Asus, Acer or Lenovo, MT8135 has the potential to consolidate MediaTek's existing customer base and open up exciting new opportunities thanks to the advanced feature set provided by Imagination's PowerVR 'Rogue' architecture.
MT8135 is a quad-core SoC that aims for the middle- to high-end tier of the tablet OEM market. It supports a 4-in-1 connectivity package that includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and FM radio, all developed in-house by MediaTek. Miracast is another important addition to the multimedia package, enabling devices using MT8135 to stream high-resolution content more easily to compatible displays, over wireless networks.

By partnering up with Imagination, MediaTek has access to our industry-leading PowerVR graphics, worldwide technical support, and a strong ecosystem of Android developers capable of making the most of our technology. We look forward to shortly seeing our brand-new PowerVR Series6 GPUs in the hands of millions of consumers, and see MediaTek as one of our strategic partners for our latest generation PowerVR GPUs moving forward.